Genre
Synopsis
1964. Sports journalism is dominated by print and radio, and a fresh batch of erudite young writers—the likes of George Plimpton, Gay Talese, and Norman Mailer— hone their literary chops on sports writing. The old-guard, who serve up the traditional meat and potatoes in their columns, bristle at these new writers detours into the personality, emotions and even social perspective of athletes.
Sure, Plimpton went to Harvard and his blood’s bluer than the Queen’s, but he also longs to break with the convention into which he was born. Looking to craft a more nuanced portrait of athletes, he immerses himself in their realms by training and competing alongside them, so that he can spin their experiences into marvelous tales.
And then Cassius Clay breaks on to the scene, defying convention in both his boxing style and relationship with the media. No, he will not be cast as a “thug” nor an “Uncle Tom” by the old-guard. He’s going to be just who he wants. And just as Clay predicts, he captures the title away from Liston, but that’s not the only surprise he has in store.
Rejecting his slave name this new champ publicly proclaims his devotion to the Nation of Islam and informs the world that he is now Muhammad Ali. While most of the writers are convinced the young athlete has just ended his career with these words, Plimpton jumps on for the ride and holds on for dear life as Ali tackles the racial injustice plaguing America more fiercely than any opponent in the ring.
Bouncing from gritty gyms to bustling newsrooms, from mosques to RFK’s campaign trail, from Miami’s Black Overtown neighborhood to Manhattan’s Upper East Side and all the way to Zaire for 1974’s “Rumble in the Jungle”, the wit of this unlikely duo and their entourage energize a period drama spanning a decade of immense social change. Navigating conflicts still echoing in today’s headlines, this limited series begs the question, “who gets to write history?”
Bio
Laurie Weltz is an award winning feature director and screenwriter, whose debut film Wrestling with Alligators was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival. Filmmaker Magazine wrote, “The lovely debut boasts excellent performances and a strong story…Weltz’s background in various aspects of film production shows in the film’s sense of grace, control and confidence…it deserves an audience beyond the festival circuit.” Laurie’s second feature film About Scout, based on her award winning script (PAGE and Champion Screenwritings Award), had its international premiere at The Rome Film Festival and was released theatrically as well as on VOD. She is currently in development on her third feature The Night Swimmer with Evenfield Entertainment as well as a TV series entitled The Narrative.
Laurie has a masters from NYU Film School, and her award winning thesis film At Five and Twenty-Five, was picked up by USA television. She was chosen as one of "25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2022" by the International Screenwriters Association.
Laurie has worked as a freelance director and editor for television, music video, and branded content. Her work has twice been nominated for ACE awards, for HBO’s Shock Video and A&E’s Heroes.
